Rat Hepatitis E Virus Isolates Cluster among Urban Norway Rats (Rattus norvegicus) across a Roadway

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a globally distributed pathogen that causes acute hepatitis in people. Recent human cases of HEV arising after contact with urban rats (Rattus spp.) have raised concerns regarding whether rats may be a source of HEV infection. We investigated whether urban Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) could be a source of HEV in an underserved urban neighborhood of Vancouver, Canada. We found that 15% of rats tested positive for rat HEV, and that HEV status was associated with increasing rat body length and family relationships. Rat HEV isolates were clustered according to their location on either the east or west side of a busy roadway bisecting this neighborhood, suggesting that this street is a barrier to HEV spread. Widespread distribution of HEV among rats in this neighborhood poses potential human health risks, emphasizing the need to reduce close contact of people with rats and their excreta.